One YouTube creator wondered what gas price would make people finally walk away from gasoline.
His math suggests the answer may come sooner than many people think, especially for households that can charge an electric vehicle at home.
Here's what to know
In a YouTube video, Paul Grondal (@LifeAfter70Years) used a common benchmark to frame the discussion: 12,000 miles of driving a year in a vehicle that gets 25 miles per gallon.
Under that example, annual fuel spending comes to about $1,440 with gas at $3 per gallon, around $2,400 at $5, and roughly $3,360 at $7.
At a home electricity rate of 16 cents per kilowatt-hour, charging an EV that averages about 3.5 miles per kWh for those same 12,000 miles would cost roughly $550 for the year, requiring around 3,430 kWh.
Put another way, gasoline would have to fall to roughly $1.14 a gallon for a typical car to match a typical EV's per-mile energy cost.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
"What is YOUR breaking point?" Grondal asked viewers.
More background
Rather than presenting EVs as the automatic best fit for everyone, the video says the answer depends on things like local electricity costs and whether home charging is available.
Charging location matters, too. Grondal said some public fast chargers can cost 40, 50, or even 60 cents per kWh, which can significantly shrink the savings compared with home charging.
Fuel is only one piece of what it costs to own a vehicle. Purchase price, insurance, depreciation, and financing all matter too. And if someone already has a paid-off gas-powered car in good condition, swapping it out just to save on fuel may not pencil out.
One commenter wrote, "I was done 2 years ago at $4.25 a gallon. I now drive two EVs."
Another said, "My breaking point was the day I test drove a Tesla Model Y."
What can be done?
The right choice depends on many factors, but the next best move could be getting a fully electric vehicle, a hybrid, or a plug-in hybrid.
Grondal said many people still worry about charging access or longer trips. For those drivers, a hybrid may serve as a middle-ground option that cuts gasoline use without requiring a full lifestyle change.
Where can I learn more?
If you're curious about how EVs have been a successful choice for others, look no further than the stories below.
• Across the U.S., home EV charging costs about 5 to 6 cents a mile.
• As gas neared $5, EVs started making sense even without home charging.
• In Washington, the EV math gets hard to ignore with $5.35 gas.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
